• Jerez Test, Day One

Chilton hints at suspension failure

Max Chilton attributed his crash during the first day of testing at Jerez to a component failure on the new Marussia.

Having completed 29 laps Chilton went off at the end of the long back straight approaching turn six and ended up in the gravel with a damaged right rear suspension. Chilton revealed that it was his first run on which he was going to be pushing at high speed and that the team would need some time to investigate the problem, but insisted it wouldn't unnerve him.

"It was the first real pushing run, so it was obviously testing the car to its maximum and something wasn't quite right," Chilton said. "I'm sure the team will try to find a cure and hopefully we'll be back on track in the next few days. I loved it up until that point but I'm sure I'll get back in to it and it'll be good from there.

"Pat [Symonds] and the team are very experience so I'm sure they'll find a cure. I just have to trust their judgement. They're experienced and have been here a lot of years, there's not much else I can do as a driver than just trust them. So as soon as I put that helmet on I've just got to see how it is, build it up and hopefully we'll fix the problem."

With no confirmed team-mate yet at Marussia, Chilton said he was enjoying his role as the focal point of the team's testing schedule for now.

"I quite like being the first one in the car because everyone's really listening to what you're saying and they take your feedback in a positive way. It's nice to have that role; I kind of led the GP2 team in the last couple of years so I'm used that but it's obviously a lot more attention and a lot more engineers listening so it's not a shock to the system, it's just a nice pleasure."

Although Chilton's team-mate is expected to be announced this week he said he would be willing to run on all four days of the Jerez test himself.

"If that was what was required then I'll do it, yeah. I'm not quite sure when we'll get back out on track but if we don't get back out until tomorrow afternoon I'm sure I'll be absolutely fine. I've trained all winter so I'm ready."

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